This invention relates to a cold-cathode gas-discharge tube adapted to accommodate a high current load.
There are various types and designs of cold-cathode gas-discharge tubes and each have been designed to impart the maximum amount of electrical heat or light from a source. One type of cold-cathode gas-discharge tube is generally constructed of a gas-tight, electrical-insulating housing having an igniting electrode on the outside of the housing and a pair of main electrodes arranged in a spaced relationship within the housing. With this arrangement of electrodes, this type of gas-discharge tube is advantageous and preferably since it is suited for bipolar applications. Also, this type of gas-discharge tube is much smaller than the comparable gas-discharge tubes.
In this type of cold-cathode gas-discharge tube, the main electrodes are generally shaped in the form of a frustum and inserted into the ends of the tubular gas-tight, electrical-insulating housing. However, this type of gas-discharge tube is not arranged to take and accommodate a high current load but instead takes a low to medium current load as compared with other types of gas-discharge tubes. Moreover, in this type of gas-discharge tubes, the gas placed in and passed through the tubing expands easily and has a tendency to damage or impair the insulation material of the housing. Accordingly, the insulation has to be replaced or the tubing becomes defective and has to be replaced. Thus, there is a need for an improved cold-cathode gas-discharge tube which will take a high current load and which is designed so that the expanding gas will not impair or damage the insulating material over a short period of use.